4 life terms for using girl as sex slave

First defendant in lurid case gets max, with no chance for parole.

Published 12:00 am, Saturday, December 11, 2010

It took jurors about 45 minutes of deliberation Friday to sentence an alleged crack cocaine dealer to four life sentences — one of which has no possibility of parole — for the kidnapping, rape and forced prostitution of a 13-year-old.

Juan Moreno, 45, stood silently as state District Judge Ron Rangel read the sentences. Moreno had faced between 25 years and life in prison without parole for super aggravated sexual assault of a child and between 15 years and life in prison for aggravated kidnapping.

The other two convictions, human trafficking and compelling prostitution, are generally second-degree felonies with maximum sentences of 20 years, but they were enhanced because of his prior trip to prison.

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The punishment decision came after a five-day trial in which the girl, now 16, described in lurid detail being abducted, beaten and repeatedly raped by Moreno and his brother Bobby “Spider” Moreno after she stopped by their East Side crack house for a drug purchase.

She said she believes she spent a week or two tied to a bed in the house in December 2007 as the brothers charged neighborhood men $25 each to rape her. But she doesn't remember all the details, partly because they kept injecting her with drugs to keep her from resisting, she said.

Bobby Moreno is still awaiting trial, as are Roland “Homeboy” Leija and Nicolas “Little Nicky” Davila, who the girl has identified as having participated in the rapes.

Crying and shaking nervously, a 21-year-old woman described being molested repeatedly by Juan Moreno when she was a young child.

“If I didn't want to do something, he said he'd call my sister,” she said, explaining that at least one time he made good on his threat. “He started doing it to her and had me in the corner. He told me to close my eyes. I heard my sister crying.”

Defense attorney William Maynard declined to call punishment witnesses. During closing arguments, he asked jurors to consider 25 years for each count.

“It's a lot to ask for, given the nature of the offences for what you've convicted him,” Maynard said. “The question you have to ask yourselves is whether you think giving him some hope is worth it or whether you should just cut off all hope.”

Prosecutors responded by reminding jurors that Moreno not only sold crack to children but raped them.

“I want you to ask yourselves, ‘What have these two young girls been sentenced to as a result of this man's behavior?'” Green said. “This is an easy one, folks: Life, life, life, life. He doesn't deserve anything less.”